Fast, medium and slow-acting carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are digested at different rates by the body and are divided into 3 main groups: slow, medium and fast-acting carbohydrates.
The table below gives examples of food and drink for fast, medium and slow-acting carbohydrates and what you need to take into consideration when carb counting:
| Type of carbohydrate | Food and drink examples | What this means for carb counting |
|---|---|---|
| Fast-acting | • glucose drinks, tablets and gels • ordinary soft drinks and full sugar squash, fruit juices • chewy sweets, gums, jellies, mints. | These foods and drinks cause a rapid rise in blood glucose levels and may be good first line hypo treatments. If they are not being used as a hypo treatment, these carbohydrates should be matched with fast-acting (bolus) insulin. |
| Medium-acting | • bread, chapattis • potatoes and sweet potatoes • breakfast cereals and oats • rice and pasta • flour • most fruit • milk, yogurt and ice cream • potato products e.g. chips and crisps • products made from flour, eg biscuits, cakes, Yorkshire puddings, pancakes, pastry • breaded products e.g. breaded fish and scotch egg • honey, jam and other conserves • sugar/brown sugar | By working out the amount of carbohydrate in these foods you will be able to control your blood glucose levels by matching the carbs with the right amount of fast-acting (bolus) insulin. |
Slow-acting | • pearl barley • dark chocolate • peas, beans and lentils • some vegetables, including sweetcorn, squash/pumpkin and parsnips • some fruit, including tomatoes, cherries, grapefruit, lemon and lime • nuts, seeds, Quorn, tofu, soya | Although these foods do contain some carbohydrate, they are absorbed very slowly and may not need to be matched with insulin, unless eaten in large quantities. |
It’s important to note that foods having a combination of fats, proteins and carbs produce a gradual rise in your blood glucose levels. Fats slow down the digestion process and absorption of glucose in the blood from carbohydrates.
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